Help us defend Freedom of Speech
Donation protected
We (11 of us total) have been sued by Steve McFadden in what the Des Moines Register calls SLAPP suits – “meritless defamation claims seeking to use courts to harass, punish and ultimately silence critics.” The Des Moines Register wrote an article on July 7, 2022 about these claims and cited George Freeman, an expert on the First Amendment, who believes McFadden’s suits bear the hallmarks of strategic lawsuits against public participation. As Mr. Freeman notes, these kind of suits are meant to “chill someone else’s speech and to get them to stop speaking because of the financial ramifications that will occur if you don’t shut up” and that “It’s a way the powerful have of getting unhappy, less-powerful people to be quiet.” As the Des Moines Register says, “Although the courts might eventually find a SLAPP to be meritless, the time and expense of defending a lawsuit is its own punishment, especially when the plaintiff has the resources and willingness to drag out the litigation.” This GoFundMe account will be used to help us cover our legal costs to defend the claims brought by McFadden, who has far more financial resources than we do.
We have all already paid significant retainers with possibly more to come as we continue this journey. We all appreciate anything that you can donate to us, and as it is not our intention to make any financial gain out of this situation, anything left over will be donated to a local charity for Domestic Violence Victims right here in the Des Moines Area.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2022/07/07/des-moines-grumpy-goat-owner-steve-mcfadden-sues-critics-facebook-posts-slapp-domestic-abuse/7456574001/
We have all already paid significant retainers with possibly more to come as we continue this journey. We all appreciate anything that you can donate to us, and as it is not our intention to make any financial gain out of this situation, anything left over will be donated to a local charity for Domestic Violence Victims right here in the Des Moines Area.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2022/07/07/des-moines-grumpy-goat-owner-steve-mcfadden-sues-critics-facebook-posts-slapp-domestic-abuse/7456574001/
Fundraising team: Team fundraiser (5)
Connor Hayes
Organizer
Des Moines, IA
Erika Parker
Team member
Sydney Houston
Team member
Austin Veal
Team member
Nathan Hegwood
Team member